Hanoi (VNA) – The Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) held a hybrid seminar themed “ASEAN Community Vision 2045: From regional commitments to development opportunities for localities” in Hanoi on October 8.
The event was meant to realise the Politburo’s Conclusion 59-KL/TW on orientations for Vietnam’s participation in ASEAN through 2030, bringing the bloc’s cooperation agenda closer to local authorities, businesses and citizens.
Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Dang Hoang Giang, who heads Vietnam’s ASEAN Senior Officials’ Meeting (SOM) delegation, said in his opening speech that 2026 is a pivotal year for the bloc’s next chapter. Member states are starting to realise the ASEAN Community Vision 2045 and four strategic plans covering politics-security, economy, socio-culture, and connectivity, toward a resilient, innovative, dynamic and people-centred community.
Giang stressed that the 14th National Party Congress again named ASEAN as the top strategic priority, tied to Vietnam’s security and development space. The current requirement is to closely link integration with socio-economic development goals and expand participation of and benefits for ministries, agencies, localities, businesses and citizens.
Drawing on the core content of the four strategic plans, representatives of several localities outlined development strategies linked with ASEAN cooperation, including in urban cooperation, cultural industries and heritage tourism, finance and innovation, expansion of export-import markets, logistics and supply chain linkages.
Delegates said ASEAN’s potential is vast, not only in politics and security but especially in economy, trade and investment, saying that the bloc also serves as a bridge for Vietnamese localities and companies to expand cooperation with ASEAN partners like China, Japan, the Republic of Korea, India, Australia, New Zealand and the US.
They stressed that making effective use of ASEAN cooperation agenda and mechanisms would provide practical support for national, sectoral and local development plans. The growth of each locality and firm also sets the stage for Vietnam to joining and contributing more to ASEAN.
To further foster coordination between the State and the private sector, and make ASEAN cooperation deeper, more substantive and effective, they proposed propeling the sharing of information and experience in joining ASEAN initiatives, especially those regarding new trends and opportunities for regional cooperation.
Based on the event’s outcomes, the MoFA and other ministries and agencies will continue helping localities and companies turn ASEAN’s cooperation orientations and commitments into practical opportunities, contributing to better welfare and quality of life for citizens./.
